


Friendship is a Two Way Street

by Missanna444



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Christmas, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-13 00:10:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12971418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missanna444/pseuds/Missanna444
Summary: The still-hurting college freshman forms an unlikely friendship with her younger brother's girlfriend.Alternatively, Nancy and Eleven become close friends and it's cute.





	1. Chapter 1

Two years. It had been two years since Will had been taken over by the Mind Flayer and Eleven had closed the gate. Even after 730 days, things weren’t quite normal. And, perhaps, things would never be normal. They’d all accepted it, but they couldn’t help but try to continue their lives. Eleven was finally allowed out in the open, but she spent most of that time hanging out with the boys. They were the only ones, she thought, that actually understood of anything that she’d gone through and what still went on in her head. Once a week, though, the boys had AV Club after school. One of those days, sick of being stuck at home all the time, Eleven took the new bike Hopper had given her and rode to the Wheeler’s home. She stood nervously as she waited for the door to be opened after she had knocked. She looked up to see Mrs. Wheeler standing there at the open door. 

 

“Jane? Oh, are you looking for Michael? He's not here today, sweetie, he's at AV Club.” The woman said as soon as she saw the curly-haired girl in the doorway. Eleven shook her head. 

 

“I want to see Nancy.” She said simply. Mrs. Wheeler looked confused, but nodded. 

 

“Alright. Well, come on in, I'll go get her.” She let Eleven inside and shut the door. While she went to get Nancy, Eleven wiped her shoes on the mat by the door. She looked up, hearing footsteps down the hall. 

 

“Oh! Hey, El.” Nancy smiled kindly, seeing the girl standing there. Eleven smiled slightly at her nickname. Only the members of the party still called her that, and she liked it that way. The party included Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve, too, so it was really the adults who called her Jane. 

 

“What're you doing here?” Nancy asked, then decided to rephrase her words so that she didn't come across as rude. “I mean, you're usually here to see Mike, not me.” 

 

“I… don't know. I wanted to say hi.” Eleven shrugged a little. “The boys are busy today.” 

 

“Well, you're welcome to hang out here. I was going to make some Christmas cookies for the party tonight, if you want to help.” The older girl offered. 

 

“Christmas cookies?” 

 

“Yeah, the kind that you cut into shapes and decorate with frosting and sprinkles and stuff. It'll be fun.” 

 

“Okay.” Eleven smiled. She followed Nancy into the kitchen. “What do we have to do first?” 

 

“The dough is in the refrigerator, so I'll take it and roll it out, then you can help me cut the shapes with cookie cutters.” Nancy explained as she took the cookie dough and the cutters out. Eleven watched with interest as she rolled out the dough until it was flat. She looked over at the cookie cutters laid out and reached over to pick out one shaped like a Christmas tree shaped one. 

 

“You like that one?” Nancy asked with a grin. Eleven nodded. 

 

“Yes. I can decorate it like the tree at home.” She smiled softly. 

 

“When did you guys put your tree up?” 

 

“Two days ago. It looks pretty.” 

 

“Yeah? Can I come over to see it sometime?” Nancy asked, happy that she got Eleven to talk a little more than usual. Eleven's smile grew wider. 

 

“Yes! You could come over and show me Christmas movies!” 

 

“What is it with you and Christmas stuff? I mean, a lot of people like Christmas, but you're like a little kid about the whole thing.” Nancy giggled. 

 

“I never celebrated it before. Not with Papa.” Eleven explained. Nancy's face fell a little, suddenly remembering what Mike had told her about Eleven's past. The poor girl had grown up in a lab, with nothing close to a normal life. 

 

“Well… I'd be honored to show you Christmas movies. And hot chocolate. And anything else  you want to know.” Nancy said softly. 

 

“Thank you.” Eleven smiled, then changed the subject. “The cookies?” 

 

“Oh, right! Okay, now that the dough is flat, we can start cutting the shapes. Here, I'll show you how.” She took the cookie cutter shaped like a star and pressed it into the dough to demonstrate how to cut the cookie. She then gently pushed it into her palm and carried it to the cookie sheet that was waiting. “See? Now, you try.”

 

Eleven nodded and carefully followed Nancy's example, then put the cookie on the sheet next to Nancy's. “Did I do it right?” 

 

“That looks perfect, El.” The older girl smiled. The two continued working until all the dough had been used up. After the cookies baked, the two set to work decorating them. 

 

“Alright, I've got red frosting, green frosting, white frosting, colored sprinkles, colored sugar, cinnamon candies…” Nancy said as she set everything on the table. “Decorate it however you want.” 

 

“Any way I want?” 

 

“Any way you want. Those are your cookies, El, they can be any way you can imagine.” 

 

Eleven nodded, but still looked over at the ones Nancy was decorating while she decorated her own, trying to gague what people usually made Christmas cookies look like. It took a couple of hours, but they finally finished. 

 

“I should go home. To get ready for the party.” Eleven said after she and Nancy had each quickly grabbed a cookie to sample. 

 

“Yeah, probably. Before you go, though, try the cookie.” 

 

Eleven nodded and took a careful bite. 

 

“You like it?” 

 

She nodded eagerly. 

 

“Yeah, I thought you might. I'll see you tonight, okay? And we'll tell everyone how much fun we had making them.” Nancy smiled. 

 

“Of course. Bye, Nancy!” 

 

“Bye, El.” Nancy smiled and waved as the girl left. 

  
Somehow, both of them could tell that a new friendship may have just begun, a friendship that they both would come to treasure in the days to come.


	2. Chapter 2

“Hi, El!” Will grinned as he and his mother greeted Hopper and Eleven. The Christmas party was to be held at the Byers house, but Joyce had offered to help Eleven get ready if she came by early. Spotting her friend, Eleven ran over and hugged him. Hugs were commonplace in the party, but especially between Eleven and Will. The two of them had both spent time in the Upside Down and hugged each other on sight. Both were equally hyper-aware of what they had all been through, and therefore felt the need for a hug when greeting each other or another member of the party.  

 

“We missed you at AV Club today.” Will told her with a grin. 

 

“I missed you too, but Dad says I still can't go to school. Next year, yes.” 

 

“Really? You'll be there next year? That'll be awesome, we'll have the whole party then! Well, except Nancy and Jonathan, and Steve.” He shrugged and Eleven smiled. 

 

“They are only minor members, anyways.” Eleven giggled. Will nodded in agreement. It was funny, he hadn't known her for as long as Mike and the others had, but he was arguably closer to her. Mike was pretty much her boyfriend, yes, but Will was practically her brother. 

 

“Are you excited for the party?” He asked as they sat on the couch together. 

 

“Sure. But mostly because of the cookies.” She smiled. Like Will, she was quiet and kept to herself. She wasn't a huge fan of other people, especially when they got loud at parties. 

 

“Well, I know Mike will hang out with you, so at least you've got that to look forward to.” He teased. Eleven rolled her eyes. 

 

“Yeah, that's something to look forward to.” She smiled, just as Joyce approached the two of them. 

 

“Hey, kiddo, you want to start getting ready?” The woman asked gently. Eleven nodded and followed her into one of the other rooms. “You’re already wearing the dress, I see. So I'll just help you with your hair, if that's okay.” 

 

Within minutes, Eleven’s thick curls had been neatly parted, combed and pushed back with a green headband. 

 

“Pretty?” Eleven asked before looking in the mirror. 

 

“Very pretty.” Joyce smiled encouragingly. The girl nodded with a small smile. “Let's finish getting ready.” 

 

A couple of hours went by, then people began arriving. Dustin and Lucas got there first, quickly joining Will and Eleven in the corner, where the party could chat without interruption from the adults. Max was next, and sat herself between Lucas and Eleven. The two girls were getting along better these days, after discovering what the other had been through. The Wheelers arrived next. Nancy walked over to the group with Mike so that she could say a quick hello. 

 

“Hey, El, I'm going to put the cookies on the counter, okay? I put yours on top so that everyone can see your awesome decorations.” She grinned, then put the large plate on the counter. The others, not knowing that Eleven had hung out with Nancy that day, looked at her in confusion. 

 

“What was that about?” Dustin asked curiously, not used to such close interaction between the two girls. 

 

“Nothing.” Eleven shrugged with a grin, then changed the subject. “What did you talk about at AV Club?” 

 

The boys began to explain what they'd learned with Mr. Clark. Mike explained most of it, which made Eleven smile. She liked hearing him talk about all the things he was interested in. As the evening dragged on, the members of the party broke off into their own smaller groups. Soon, it was just Mike and Eleven left, but then his mother wanted to talk to him, leaving Eleven all alone on the couch. After a few minutes, Nancy noticed how uncomfortable and bored she looked all by herself. 

 

“Maybe you should go talk to her.” Jonathan suggested, the two of them talking together in the kitchen. 

 

“What? Why me?” 

 

“Well, from what you told me, it seems like you two really got along earlier. She needs a friend who's not totally part of the party. Besides, you're kind of in a sisterly position, since she's dating your brother. I don't know, it might be just what she needs.” Jonathan shrugged. Nancy pondered this for a moment. He had a point. Plus, she hated seeing Eleven look so downcast. The poor kid still didn't have a normal life. She put down the hot chocolate she'd been drinking and walked over to the couch, then sat beside Eleven. 

 

“Hey, El! How are you liking the party?” She smiled cheerfully. The girl looked over in surprise to see Nancy suddenly next to her. 

 

“Oh! It's… it's good!” She nodded. 

 

“Here, I brought you a couple of cookies. They're fast disappearing, so I thought I'd make sure you got one.” Nancy handed her the small paper plate. 

 

“Thanks.” Eleven nodded, then fell quiet again. She seemed at a loss as to what to say. 

 

“So… what're you doing here all by yourself?” Nancy asked after a long pause. 

 

“I got bored of the boys. They talk too much about dumb things.” She shrugged. 

 

“Yeah, they do, don't they? They're kind of silly, sometimes.” The older girl replied with a gentle smile. Eleven smiled back with a nod. 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Hey… I've got an idea. Why don't we head into the other room where the television is and see if there are any Christmas movies on or something?” 

 

“Really?” Eleven's eyes brightened. 

 

“Sure! There's no one in there, so I don't see why not!” She barely finished speaking before Eleven grabbed her hand and was pulling her into the other room. 

 

“What will we watch?” Eleven asked as Nancy flipped through the few channels on the television. 

 

“Whatever's on, I suppose-- Wait, I found one. They always have these silly Christmas specials on TV for kids, this time of year. If you're going to be going to school with the boys next year, you'll need to catch up on the childhood you didn't have. So, what do you say we watch one of those?” Nancy suggested. 

 

“Okay. Which one is this?” Eleven pointed at the program on the television that was just starting. 

 

“Oh, this is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. You know about the whole Santa thing, right?” Nancy checked. Eleven nodded. “Okay, cool. This is kinda part of that.” 

  
And so, the two of them sat comfortably on the couch, watching the Christmas program, far away from the noise of the party. 


	3. Chapter 3

A few weeks passed, and it was soon the week before Christmas. Max and Eleven were helping each other pick out Christmas presents for their friends by looking through the coupons that came with the newspaper every day. One afternoon, the two of them sat on the couch in Eleven's home, piles of coupons making a mess on the floor. 

 

“I don't know what to get for Mike.” Eleven admitted. She'd already picked out things for the others. 

 

“I'd say a new radio, but Mrs. Wheeler said she had gotten him that.” Max shrugged, not sure what to say. “Oh, maybe ask Nancy about what he likes! She'd know. Maybe you could get him some decorations or something for the radio.” 

 

Eleven considered this for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, I think that'll work.” 

 

“Does he like that movie from a few years ago? That space one?” 

 

“Star Wars?” 

 

“Yeah, that one! I know Lucas likes it, so I got him one of the action figures from it.” 

 

“Really? Wow. Yes, I think Mike likes it, too.” She nodded, already knowing what she would get Mike. Still, another question kept bouncing around in her mind. 

 

“What is it, El?” Max asked, slightly concerned at the look on her friend's face. 

 

“I want to get Nancy something, too.” 

 

“Why Nancy?”

 

“She's my friend now. More than just being Mike's sister.” The girl explained quietly. 

 

“Yeah, I can't help you with that one. I have no clue what she'd like. Why don't you ask Mike? He'd know.” 

 

“Yeah… I suppose so.” El nodded and made a mental note to ask him the next time she saw him. 

 

“Or you could ask Jonathan or Steve. I mean, you're at the Byers’ house all the time, and Steve babysits you sometimes. I'm sure they both know her pretty well.” 

 

“Yeah! And Steve is coming over tonight, so I can ask him then.” 

 

“He is? Where's Hopper going tonight?” 

 

“A date.” 

 

“A date?!” Max's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Sure, she wasn't so new to the town anymore, but she hadn't quite taken notice of the most anticipated budding romance that the group had ever seen. 

 

“Yeah, with Mrs. Byers.” Eleven nodded, a smile on her face. She'd been hearing Hopper talk so happily about Joyce for two years, she was glad to see that he was finally making it happen. Besides, if Joyce and Hopper ever got married, then Will would really be her brother. She liked the idea of having a sibling, especially if that sibling was already one of her closest friends. 

 

Meanwhile, Eleven wasn't the only one struggling with Christmas gift ideas. Nancy was busy bombarding Mike with questions about Eleven. 

 

“What's her favorite color?” 

 

“I don't know, maybe blue?”

 

“There's a lot of different types of blue, Mike.” 

 

“Okay, okay! Sky blue, then. She likes lighter colors.”

 

“See, now that was helpful. Thank you. What size dress does she wear? Does she like nail polish? What about makeup? Does she have any of her own?” 

 

“I don't know! She doesn't even wear nail polish! Maybe you're the one to introduce her to it. Or, you could get her makeup and teach her how to use it. Or, even better, get her a book! She needs to get better at all that before she goes to school with us next year.” Mike suggested, starting to get frustrated with his sister. Nancy nodded and disappeared to go to the bookstore. Mike shook his head with a slight laugh. He couldn't figure out his sister's sudden interest in his girlfriend. But if it meant that Eleven was happy, he couldn't complain. 

 

Hours later, Steve arrived at the Hopper household to watch Eleven for the night. 

 

“Hey, kid. You mind making her dinner? I hate to ask, but I'm running late.” The chief asked as he grabbed his keys to leave. 

 

“Yeah, no problem, sir. I am a cooking expert.” An unconvinced look from both Hopper and Eleven made him correct himself. “Okay, I'm not the best, but I can at least handle dinner.” 

 

“Thanks, kid. Jane, I'll see you in the morning. Behave for Steve. Eat all your vegetables. He won't make you Eggos until you do. Most of all, have fun, okay? Stay up as late as you want, I won't be back until late.” Hopper gave her a quick hug before heading out the door. 

 

Steve heated up some TV dinners for them, then cut up an apple for Eleven. He couldn't find any fresh vegetables, but there was fruit, at least. As they sat down to eat, Eleven looked up to ask him a question.

 

“Can I ask you something?” 

 

“Sure, kid. What's up?” 

 

“What would Nancy want for Christmas?” She asked slowly. 

 

“Nancy? I don't really know. Why do you ask?” 

 

“Well… she's been a really good friend lately and I want to get her something.” She explained. Steve nodded, thinking for a moment. 

 

“I might have an idea. See, before Nancy and I broke up, she'd always been talking about a set of nail polish that she really wanted, because it would go well with all of her outfits and would look good for formal occasions or whatever. I'm the kind of guy who does his Christmas shopping early, so I'd already gotten it for her. But, then we broke up and it felt wrong to give it to her. If you want, I can let you pass it off as your own idea.” 

 

“Really? You'd do that?” She asked in surprise. “But it's yours to give her.” 

 

“I know. But it's weird for me to give it to her now. So, you can if you want. I'll drop it off tomorrow, if you want to.” 

 

She pondered this idea for awhile, then nodded. 

“Sure.” She smiled. “Thank you, Steve.” 

 

“No problem. Just don't tell her it was my idea, okay?” He chuckled. 

 

“Okay.” She smiled, though she knew she'd tell Nancy anyways, since it was such a nice thing for Steve to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, the Christmas gift for El to give Nancy is stupid, but I couldn't think of anything else! Maybe somewhere down the road I'll think of something else and edit it.


End file.
